Silo-door latch



H. M. CHOCKER.

SILO' DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1918.

Patented Feb. 17,1920.

INV ENTOR, [fall aid M C'rwir;

ATTORN EY- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD M. CROCKER, OF MANKATO, MINNESOTA.

SILO-DOOR LATCH.

Application filed February 26, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. CRooKnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mankato, in the county of Blue Earth and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silo-Door Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to silo door fasteners and has for its object the production of a simple and eflicient silo door fastener which may be very quickly and efficiently operated for the purpose of clamping the door in a locked or closed position and which may be also quickly and efiiciently released for the purpose of permitting the door to be moved to an open position.

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficient lock means carried by the door and door frame, whereby the door will be firmly clamped and tightly held upon the door frame in such a manner as to tightly seal the door against the door frame.

\Vith these and other objects in view this invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements ofv parts aS will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

. In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the silo door frame, the doors being shown in a set position or locked position,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the door frame and door,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the door frame, showing especially the locking and clamping means for the door,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the locked wedge plates,

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

Serial No. 219,282.

the fact that this invention resides more particularly in the locked or clamping portion of the door. A door 2 is mounted within the frame 1 and is adapted to close the door way formed in the frame 1 and this door 2 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced reinforcing ribs 3 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

A locking lever 41 is pivotally secured to the longitudinally extending reinforcing rib 3 by means of suitable bolts 5 extending through the inner end 6 of the locking lever 1 as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The inner ends 6 of the locking lever 4 are provided with laterally extending enlarged portions 7 upon the sides, these portions 7 be ing provided with abrupt shoulders 8 upon the inner ends thereof as shown in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings. These shoulders 8 are preferably curved upon the inner faces thereof, as indicated clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, for the purpose of facilitating the moving of the shoulder portion 8 over the wedged plates 9 which are secured to the sides of the frame 1.

As shown in Fig. 2, suitable wedge plates 9 are secured to the sides of the frame 1 and each of these wedge plates 9 comprises a fiat body portion having a plurality of securing apertures 10 formed therein, through which securing apertures 10 extend suitable pins 11 for the purpose of facilitating the securing of the wedge plates 9 through the frame 1. Each of the wedge plates 9 is provided with an inclined outer face 12 as shown'in Fig. 4:, each plate 9 being thickened upon the outer edge thereof as indicated at 13 in Fig. 5 for the purpose of constituting a broad or reinforcing bearing face upon which the overhanging shoulder portions 8 of the lever 4 are adapted to work for the purpose of firmly clamping the door 2 in engagement with the frame 1. The forward edge 12 of each of the wedge plates 9 tapers inwardly toward the upper end of the plate for the purpose of facilitating the tightening of the lever a upon the upper end of the plate 9 as the lever is swung downwardly. In view of the fact that the locking plates 9 are provided with inclined faces 12, it will be seen that as the lever 4 is swung downwardly as shown in Fig. 1, the door 2 will be drawn in tight engagement and wedged in engagement with the frame 1, due to the fact that the overhanging portions 7 firmly bear against the inclined faces 12 of the portion 14 is formed so as to provide an inclined outer face 16, tapering toward the upper end of the body, and this face 16 is formed by means of the laterally extending flange 17 bent from the body 14 as shown in Fig. 7 this flange 17 will constitute a reinforcing means against which the overhanging portion 7 of the locking lever 4; is adapted to rest for the purpose of firmly clamping the door 2 in a set or locked position upon the door frame 1.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a very simple and eflicieut means has been produced in the nature of a silo door lock, whereby the locking lever 4 may be easily and conveniently swung to a locked or unlocked position, and while the locking lever 4 is swung to a locked position, the same will constitute an efiicient ladder for the silo, these locking levers a beingheld by gravity in engagement with the wedging plates 9.

It should be of course understood that certain obvious detail mechanical changes should be understood that this locking lever 1 is ordinarily used as a ladder, notwithstanding the fact that the same is also used for the purpose of locking the door in a closed position and theweight of a man climbing upon the locking lever 4 which constitute the ladder might force the locking lever downwardly to such a position as to cause the same to over run the inclined face or faces of the wedging plates 9. Should the locking lever 4 move clownwardly to the lower end of the wedging plates 9, the enlarged portion 12 will constitute a positive abutment against which the lever will rest and thereby hold the same against further movement or against being accidentally detached from engagement with the wedging plates 9.

What is claimed is:

1. In a door, the combination with a door frame, a door fitting upon said frame, a locking lever provided with inwardly extending end portions and a transversely extending connecting portion constituting a step, said inwardly extending portions being pivotally secured at their inner extremities to said door, said inwardly extending end portions also provided with an enlarged laterally extending thickened'lug upon the outer sides thereof intermediate the ends of the end portions, wedging plates secured to said frame, and said thickened laterally extending lug being adapted to ride upon the inclined face of said wedging plate whereby pressure upon the step and locking lever will draw said door tightly in engagement with said frame and cause said wedging plate to be firmly clamped in engagement with the supporting frame.

2. In a silo door mechanism and locking means therefor, the combination with a "door frame having an opening formed therein, a door adapted to close said open ing in said frame, of a locking lever provided with inwardly extending end por tions being pivotally secured at their inner extremities to said door, said inwardly extending end portions carrying laterally extending portions, wedging plates secured to said frame and provided with inwardly inclined outer faces adapted to receive the laterally extending portions whereby said door will be firmly drawn into a closed position within said opening in said frame, and whereby pressure exerted upon said locking lever will also firmly clamp the wedging plates in engagementwith said frame.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature.

nowann M. CROCKER. 

